Hajia Hafsat Bello and Mrs Lateefat Ademulugen during Nigeria’s first military coup, by Femi Fani Kayode
The first woman in the pictures is Hajia Hafsat Bello. She was the wife of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto & Premier of the Northern Region.
She took care of many, as the wife of the Premier, including one Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, who headed the Officers Training College in Kaduna. Nzeogwu was treated like a son by Sardauna.
Hafsat often sent food on special occasions like Sallah to Nzeogwu & his officers. They made them feel at home in Kaduna & took care of them.
Despite that in the early hours of the morning of January 15th 1966, during the execution of Nigeria’s first military coup, Nzeogwu went to Sardauna’s home & not only killed him but killed Hafsat & Zurumi, the Premier’s traditional bodyguard, as well.
Hafsat threw her body on her husband to shield him when she saw them coming, whilst Zurumi charged the soldiers with his ceremonial sword drawn, but to no avail. All three of them were killed instantly by Nzeogwu’s bullets.
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This was after he had shot Sergeant Daramola Oyegoke, one of his own men, who had refused to shoot Sardauna.
The second woman in the picture is Mrs Lateefat Ademulugen. She was the wife of Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun, Commander of the 1st Division of the Nigerian Army, based in Kaduna.
In the early hours of the morning of January 15th 1966, during the execution of Nigeria’s first coup, a group of young soldiers stormed their home and burst into their bedroom which they shared with their two children, Solape and Adegoke.
They were led by Major Timothy Onwuatuegwu, an officer of the Military Training College in Kaduna, who was not only under the direct command of Ademulegun but was also like a son to him & a close family friend who often visited his home.
As they proceeded to shoot Ademulegun, Lateefat, who was 8 months pregnant at the time, pleaded with the young officers to spare her husband & attempted to shield him from them with her body.
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Her pleas & that of her children fell on deaf ears as Onwuatuegwu shot both Ademulegun & his wife right in front of their children.
These two women, one from the North & the other from the South West, chose to die with their husbands amid bullets rather than live without them.
Such was their love, loyalty, courage & commitment.
They were a pride to womanhood & to Nigeria.
(FFK)
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